Amid controversies, Myrtle Beach Bike Week perseveres

Monday

Jun 3, 2013 at 2:00 AMJun 3, 2013 at 8:51 AM

It had been a few years since I attended Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Bike Week and/or Myrtle Beach Spring Rally. Over the years it has been filled with controversy, from helmet laws within city limits to noise ordinances to the banning of vendor permits in 2008, which caused the event to move to areas surrounding the city of Myrtle Beach and causing bikers to feel as if they were not welcomed. I decided to take the Bobber and check out the 2013 event, held May 13-19, and see if all the controversies still lingered.

Donna Kessler

It had been a few years since I attended Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Bike Week and/or Myrtle Beach Spring Rally. Over the years it has been filled with controversy, from helmet laws within city limits to noise ordinances to the banning of vendor permits in 2008, which caused the event to move to areas surrounding the city of Myrtle Beach and causing bikers to feel as if they were not welcomed. I decided to take the Bobber and check out the 2013 event, held May 13-19, and see if all the controversies still lingered.

The rally began in 1940 and attracted 200,000 bikers every May. This year's rally was no different. The beginning of the week was slow, but by midweek the event drew bikers by the thousands to the oceanfront city. "From all appearances, the numbers were up this year, but there were no major issues," said Myrtle Beach Police Capt. David Knipes.

Law enforcement from the surrounding area agreed. "Bike week 2013 went smooth on the law enforcement side for the Horry County Police Department," said Sgt. Robert Kegler of the Horry County police. "There were no major issues during the rally that were bike related."

You have to remember, this is not Daytona. Myrtle Beach Bike Week is a lot calmer. You still have the entertainment and the great bars such as SBB Original, Beaver Bar, Bones and Spokes Saloon (aka Broken Spoke) and the Rat Hole, but there are no bike shows and no swap meets, and even though there are vendors, they sell mostly T-shirts and jewelry, and there is no Main Street.

Unfortunately, SBB Original in Murrells Inlet lost its court battle banning burnouts, an event that was part of its trademark, but it didn't stop folks from enjoying the vendors and the entertainment at the popular watering hole.

At the other end of town at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, Full Throttle Saloon set up camp at the House of Blues. It brought along entertainment, the Flaunt girls, Fajita Mike, Jesse with his band Jackyl and Michael Ballard with Angie, all from the TV reality show. They signed autographs and posed for photos. It was a packed house.

But no matter what end of town you went to, the chatter seemed to be about where Myrtle Beach Bike Week was headed. Artie Schilling of East Coast Artie's Pinstriping, who lives in Surfside Beach, set up a tent at Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson to showcase a few top pinstripers, including Nub of Nub Grafix of Walden. Schilling says he has seen a slow increase in bikers at the weeklong event over the years, but as far as bike builders showcasing their newest models or folks setting up a booth for a swap meet, they can't afford the permit fees and visitors aren't really spending the money to make up for it.

All in all, Myrtle Beach Bike Week is an enjoyable time. Routes 17 Business and 17 Bypass form a loop from Murrells Inlet to North Myrtle Beach and are chock-full of restaurants, shops and sites.

You also get a great welcome from the locals in their golf carts who park themselves outside their communities to give you a wave or take your picture. It's nice to know that bikers really are welcomed by some folks. I also recommend taking the time to cruise down Ocean Boulevard and feel the cool ocean breeze and take a walk out on one of the fishing piers or take in the restaurants and wildlife along the Marsh Walk in Murrells Inlet.

It may have a way to go to even come close to Daytona Beach Bike Week, but something that has been around so long and has persevered through so much controversy is still taking place every year, and you can thank the local businesses for that.

If you missed the Spring Rally, you can catch the Fall Rally Oct. 2-6. The Myrtle Beach Spring Rally will take place May 9-18 in 2014.